Although the Saints won't have to deal with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning tonight, they'll still have their hands full with one of the NFL's all-time great pass rushers.

Freeney, 31, is playing as well as ever in his 10th NFL season, with 4.5 sacks to bring his career total up to 98.5. Known for his speed, the slightly undersized 6-foot-1, 268-pounder has tormented offensive tackles for years with his combination of power and quickness.

"You don't really have too many guys who can do what he does," said Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod, who held up well in their previous matchup in Super Bowl XLIV, allowing one sack, though Freeney was hampered by an ankle injury. "He's not light at all. But he plays with great explosiveness and extreme quickness. And he's an experienced player.

"You have to prepare and try to have an idea what he's doing. You can't sit back and wait for him to make his move, because that's trouble."

Second-year Saints defensive end Junior Galette, a developing speed rusher himself at 6-2, 258, has been playing the role of Freeney on the scout team. He said he didn't have to watch a lot of film to learn Freeney's tendencies.

"I've been watching him since I was in high school," Galette said. "He's a guy that's kind of mastered that spin move. That spin move is his. But he can beat you with that or he can bull-rush you. And his first two, three steps always look the same, so you don't know what's coming."

Freeney has earned six Pro Bowl invitations, and he was named to the 2000s all-decade team. He's not the only threat on the Colts' line, where fellow defensive end Robert Mathis (6-2, 245) is also an explosive athlete.

"These two defensive ends are the greatest tandem ever," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "They have some game-changing guys on that side of the ball. You have to have a plan for what they have."

SAINTS RB DARREN SPROLES

The Saints' newest offensive weapon has been a longtime nemesis for the Colts. Sproles had two breakout playoff performances against the Colts as a replacement starter at tailback for the San Diego Chargers in 2008 and 2009. And in 2007, Sproles returned a kickoff and punt for touchdowns in the same game against the Colts.

The history isn't what scares Indianapolis, though. It's the present. Sproles leads the NFL with 925 all-purpose yards this season and has been equally potent as a runner, receiver and return man. He could have a big day against a defense that has been inconsistent and against special teams coverage units that have been consistently poor.

The Colts have been the NFL's worst team in the kicking game this year. They've gained a total of nine punt return yards while allowing 299 punt return yards. Both their punt return and kickoff return units rank 32nd in the league. Their punt coverage ranks 29th and their kickoff coverage ranks 31st.

GAME PLAN

Ironically, the Colts will try to do what so many teams have done to them for the past decade when they had a healthy Peyton Manning at quarterback - keep the ball away from the opposing offense. Expect the Colts to try and milk the clock on offense, run the ball and avoid turnovers as much as possible to keep Brees and Co. off the field.

Third-year Indianapolis quarterback Curtis Painter has performed even better than expected during his first three career starts, throwing five touchdown passes and just one interception with a passer rating of 93.0. He won't try to light up the Saints' defense through the air, but he does have a lot of playmakers to lean on in the passing game, including receivers Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon and tight end Dallas Clark. Veteran tailback Joseph Addai is questionable with a hamstring injury.

The Saints' defense, meanwhile, will be hell-bent on forcing turnovers against the inexperienced quarterback. They have forced only four takeaways, which ranks 30th in the NFL.

KEY MATCHUP

SAINTS QB DREW BREES vs. COLTS SECONDARY

The Saints likely will make a stronger commitment to the run game tonight after struggling to get it off the ground last week. But the matchups that could turn this game into a mismatch are in the passing game.

The Colts cornerbacks have struggled. They've allowed opposing passers to complete 69.9 percent of their passes with a passer rating of 104.0. Expect them to play even more cover-two zones than usual tonight to try and keep the ball in front of them and avoid the man-to-man mismatches as much as possible.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Saints lead the all-time series 6-5, including a 31-17 victory in their last meeting, Super Bowl XLIV. ... If Brees throws 25 touchdown passes this season, he'll become the second quarterback in NFL history to do so in six straight years. But that's still miles behind Manning, whose 13-year streak will come to an end this year. ... Wayne leads all NFL players with 670 receptions and 9,239 receiving yards since 2004.

FROM THE COACH'S MOUTH

"We have a lot of competitors here. There are a bunch of competitors down there. It's obviously going to be a great game. It's at night, nationally televised. I think there are a lot of things we're looking forward to. I don't think anyone's expressing anything about a rematch. There's a lot of water under the bridge."

-- Colts Coach Jim Caldwell when asked if his team is seeking some payback for the Saints' Super Bowl victory